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Thread: Mineral spirits

  1. 1st June 2003, 10:06 PM #1
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    Default Mineral spirits

    Here's a basic question with what I hope will be a simple answer. Many of the US magazines and websites talk about "mineral spirits". What is it? Does it go by a different name in Oz?

    Driver
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  2. 1st June 2003, 10:18 PM #2
    q9
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    We call it "turps". Not to be confused with white spirit which is different again.

    Look around these two sites and you'll find chemical compositions, etc.

    www.msdsonline.com
    www.inchem.org
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  3. 1st June 2003, 10:51 PM #3
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    q9

    Thanks. "Turps". Does that mean it is the same as or different from mineral turpentine?

    Driver
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  4. 1st June 2003, 11:04 PM #4
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    Turps is mineral turpentine and is the yank equiv of mineral spirit.
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  5. 1st June 2003, 11:11 PM #5
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    q9

    Thanks for the advice and for your patience!

    Driver
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  6. 2nd June 2003, 10:17 AM #6
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    Actually,mineral spirits and turpentine are two different critters.
    Turpentine is refined from turpentine oil,
    mineral spirits is refined from petroleum.
    Mineral spirits is in between naptha(lighter fluid) and kerosene.

    Naptha,mineral spirits and turpentine are used as solvents for paint and varnish,naptha being quicker to evaporate than mineral spirits and turpentine being the slowest of the three.

    I believe mineral spirits in the U.S. is akin to your white spirit.

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  7. 2nd June 2003, 03:20 PM #7
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    Now I'm really confused!
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  8. 2nd June 2003, 06:03 PM #8
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    Me too...

    trust the yanks to come in at the last minute...
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  9. 2nd June 2003, 06:14 PM #9
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    I will contact one of my chemist friends and find out for sure.
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  10. 2nd June 2003, 07:16 PM #10
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    What is the base of your white spirit?
    Is it petroleum,alcohol or something else?

    At one of the links above,you can type in mineral spirits and white spirit comes up,but turpentine is something different.

    Inquiring minds wanna know.

    Just found these:

    http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/WH/white_spirits.html

    http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/TU/turpentine.html


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  11. 2nd June 2003, 10:50 PM #11
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    Jusr my 2.2c worth (gst included) what you generally get when you buy turpentine is mineral turpentine which is a synthetic version of the old time gum turpentine which is distilled from tree resin. It is still available in artist's supply stores and smells a lot nicer than mineral turps. Of course this doesn't answer your question, Driver but it does explain why it's called mineral turps.

    Mick
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  12. 3rd June 2003, 08:38 AM #12
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    Gum turps may smell better than mineral turps, but I believe it's even worse for the brain cells. As my chemist friend says, if you can smell an organic solvent, you're being poisoned. It's just that some are worse than others.
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  13. 3rd June 2003, 11:28 AM #13
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    Sir Chiz

    Our White spirit is petroleum based
    You use it in the Zippo
    Sold here as Shellite for a good many years
    AKA Lighter Fluid

    Jamie
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  14. 3rd June 2003, 11:57 AM #14
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    Jamie,sounds like you white spirit is closer to what we get as naptha,the main ingredient in Zippo fuel.It evaporates faster than our Mineral spirit.
    Tastes horrible too!

    I use both naptha and mineral spirits for thinning varnish to make a wipe on varnish.
    Naptha flashes off quicker and is good for a smaller piece but can tack up too quick for a larger piece,so for a larger piece,I'd thin with mineral spirits.

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  15. 3rd June 2003, 12:14 PM #15
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    Mixed with a little orange juice over ice it doesn't taste that bad ... it depends on how cheap you like your drinks.
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